Folk recognized for memoir, 'Science on the Far Horizon'

Folk recognized for memoir, 'Science on the Far Horizon'

Folk recognized for memoir, 'Science on the Far Horizon'

98-year-old professor emeritus pioneered environmental physiology

By: Laura Zeman | 2013.01.31 | 12:21 pm

Students, faculty, staff, and guests gathered January 29 to celebrate the release of a newly-published memoir, Science on the Far Horizon, by Edgar Folk, University of Iowa professor emeritus of molecular physiology and biophysics. The memoir was co-written by Diana Thrift, UI writer, editor, and Folk’s long-time research assistant.

The reception included recognition from Martin Frank, executive director of the American Physiological Society (APS), for Folk’s active involvement with the APS throughout his career as well as a reading by Victoria Folk Sprague, Edgar Folk’s daughter, who contributed the foreword to the memoir. Folk reminisced about his experiences at the UI and his gratitude to the APS for the opportunities he had to study environmental physiology in the field.

Folk has been an influential member of the UI Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics since 1953, and at the age of 98, continues to be a dedicated member of the faculty. As a pioneer in the field of environmental physiology, he encouraged the UI Department of Physiology to establish the first course in environmental physiology for graduate students and published the first textbook devoted to environmental physiology for advanced students in 1966.